About
Vanessa Wu is an Auckland-based commercial photographer, videographer and film director specialising in food, still life, product for advertising and editorial.
Vanessa's passion is still life and food. Driven by aesthetics, she has become well known for her beautiful, minimalist, yet distinctly feminine style, which references her life long interest in art and graphic design. Using lighting to enhance contour and form is her photographic signature.
Her aim is to create beauty in her work that brings joy, this, Vanessa says, makes the process worthwhile. Vanessa has been involved in numerous photographic and art exhibitions showing her personal work, as well as having a high profile in magazines and books.
She has also been selected as one of the top 200 best Advertising Photographers Worldwide for Lürzer's Archive for 2020/21/22/23/24/25/26 as well as winning year after year globally in World Food Photography Awards for stills and motion, IPA (International Photography Awards), Clio, Axis, Production Paradise and has won gold, silver and bronze AIPA awards
And has been on the board of the AIPA (NZ Photographers Association), which involved organising and finding sponsorship for touring NZ Photographic exhibitions, awards and books.
Her client list includes Air NZ, NZTE, Skycity, Visa, Copper Kettles, Coke, McDonalds, Burger King, Fonterra, Goodman and Fielder, New World, Whittaker's, Sony, Panasonic, Adidas, Seagars Gin, Robert Harris Coffee, McCoy fruit juice, Evian, Red Bull, Huntaway Wines, Oyster Bay wines, Vogels, Arnotts, Silver Fern Farms, Beehive Bacon, Mainland Butter, Meadowfresh, Puhoi Cheese, Kapiti, Nescafe, Cadbury, Maggi, Sanitarium, Vodafone, Healtheries, Glaxo Wellcome, Aetna Health, Sun Alliance, National Bank, ANZ Bonus Bonds, Wella, Schwarzkopf and Shiseido.
ACHIEVEMENT & EXHIBITION HISTORY
2026 Voted top 200 Advertising photographers Worldwide by Lürzer's Archive for 2026
Featured in Campaign Brief
2025 Women's Work Exhibition – The Tuesday Club with 23 female photographers
Voted top 200 Advertising photographers Worldwide by Lürzer's Archive for 2025
2024 Pink Lady food Awards - Finalist for Marks and Spencer Still Life, Finalist for Regional
Photographer
for the Year.
International Photography Awards IPA – Official Selection, Honorable Selection
Voted top 200 Advertising photographers Worldwide by Lürzer's Archive for 2024
2023 Pink Lady food Awards 2nd place in Film Food Shorts,
Finalist for Production Paradise Previously Published,
Finalist for Regional Photographer for the Year.
International Photography Awards IPA – Honorable mention
Women's Work Exhibition – Women's Pioneer Hall with 25 female photographer
Voted top 200 Advertising photographers Worldwide by Lürzer's Archive for 2023
2022 Shortlisted in the top 10 for Production Paradise Spotlight Awards Worldwide in the Food and Kids section
Featured in MAD Advertising, Campaign Brief
Voted top 200 Advertising photographers Worldwide by Lürzer's Archive for 2022
2021 Voted top 200 Advertising photographers Worldwide by Lürzer's Archive for 2021
Women's Work Exhibition – Women's Pioneer Hall with 23 female photographers
Featured in Campaign Brief
2020 Women's Work Exhibition – Women's Pioneer Hall with 21 female photographers
Featured in Campaign Brief
Featured in Sony Alpha Bravo
Voted top 200 Advertising photographers Worldwide by Lürzer's Archive for 2020
2019 Voted top 200 Advertising photographers Worldwide by Lürzer's Archive for 2020/2021
(Only second female in NZ to have achieved this award)
Featured in Campaign Brief
2016 Featured in Progear News
2012 To present day
Represented by Match Artists (Agent in NZ)